The prefrontal cortex...

V

visceral_instinct

Monkey see, monkey denigrate
Valued Senior Member
I don't know a lot about it. So forgive me if I'm talking crap. But I seem to remember that the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for controlling impulses, does not fully develop until around 25. But I thought, the brain responds to how it's used, if you keep using a certain part of the brain then it becomes more developed...so could you somehow train that part of the brain to be more active before that age? My 12 year old niece has this "brain training" computer game where words flash up and you have to say out loud the colour of the text, but the colour is different from the word, for example 'Red' written in blue. It's supposed to develop the prefrontal cortex...that was what put this idea in my head....

Again, I don't know much about neurology so bear with me if I'm talking nonsense...
 
I think there is very little involvement of the prefrontal (0r frontal cortex) training or even stimulation made by a computer that displays English words for color names in other colors because the frontal cortex is not much used in the processing of Either words (any language) or of color. The brain's processing of printed words and colors begins at the back of the head (neglecting the thalamic processing which some (but not me) think is mainly just a "relay station" for the sensory inputs to the brain. (Visual signals from the retina go thru the Later Geniculate Nucleus, LGN, also call the L. G. Body as it is sort of bump on the Pulvinar, which is the lower back part of the Thalamus.) Then the IMHO, processed information goes to the very back of the head into the "visual cortex” also called V1. In V1 and V2 the various characteristics of the image are separated and sent to other neural tissue for more processing. The color characteristics go the V5, still part of the back of the head where the colors is recognized. This area is also stimulated just by thinking about some color or reading the word in your language that names it. For example thinking of the sky will stimulate the sub-region of V5 that is active when actually seeing blue as will a reader of English seeing: BLUE.

Now skipping some not so well understood details, the shape of the letters B L U E in that order near each other will be recognized in the temporal lobes as the letters B,L,U,& E. and still in the temporal lobe this particular set of four recognized letters will, mainly in Wernica's area sub division of the temporal lobe which is relative close to the main part of the side of the brain as having the meaning/ experiences etc. you have learned to associate with the concept blue. Part of this information, related to language, is not too well localized so just said to be in your "lexicon" which tell that blue is either an noun, naming a color or a adjective describing a mental state, etc. Lots of other neural circuits will be activated in addition to the V5 region recognizing the color of blue and because of the phonetic similarity probably blew also.

The reason why this task of name the ink color of a word written spelling the name of another color is hard is that for the one "object" two conflicting sub regions of V5 are both active. It takes concentration to determine what the assigned task requires you to respond with (name the color of name the word)

Any task that requires concentration would work just as well in development of your frontal cortex and all the activity I have describe about is about as far from the frontal cortex as you can get within the brain. Any task requiring judgments or evaluation the desirability of alternatives etc. I think would be better than consciously resolving the conflict between two sub regions of V5 to respond correctly to the assigned task.
 
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visceral_instinct said:
I don't know a lot about it. So forgive me if I'm talking crap. But I seem to remember that the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for controlling impulses, does not fully develop until around 25. But I thought, the brain responds to how it's used, if you keep using a certain part of the brain then it becomes more developed...so could you somehow train that part of the brain to be more active before that age? My 12 year old niece has this "brain training" computer game where words flash up and you have to say out loud the colour of the text, but the colour is different from the word, for example 'Red' written in blue. It's supposed to develop the prefrontal cortex...that was what put this idea in my head....

Again, I don't know much about neurology so bear with me if I'm talking nonsense...
Click to expand...

Ok .... prefrontal cortex do control impulses .....
Recognizing RED written in BLUE ....... involves visual cortex in the dorsal region of the brain and the cognitive part of thalamus .... however the interpretation of the letters will happen in the left temporal lobe .... and the colour in a part of the brain behind and below of the temporal lobe .........

However , answering RED or BLUE ... will depend on whether the prefrontal cortex will allow you to process all of the processes in your brain , before you blurt out the answer .... in else stopping your impulse of saying RED , when the correct answer is BLUE .....
It will train your prefrontal cortex a little ....
 
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I was actually gonna post 'I'm so embarrassed, I want to go die... I feel like a dick for posting this'...but there you go...My dear old prefrontal cortex. :D:D:D
 
To visceral_instinct:

Don't worry. We can calm your over active frontal cortext. The skull behind the eye balls is very thin. - An ice pick easily punches thru and if oscillated right and left, you will be "good as new."

Come to my office but bring a big bottle of 100 proof for:

(1) Making ice pick sterile
and
(2) Us to drink. (You for courage & pain relief. - It really is not bad as brain can not feel any pain when cut.) (Me to steady my hand & I like the stuff.)

Any time after 9PM would be fine.
 
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Billy T said:
To visceral_instinct:

Don't worry. We can calm your over active frontal cortext. The skull behind the eye balls is very thin. - An ice pick easily punches thru and if oscillated right and left, you will be "good as new."

Come to my office but bring a big bottle of 100 proof for:

(1) Making ice pick sterile
and
(2) Us to drink. (You for courage & pain relief. - It really is not bad as brain can not feel any pain when cut.) (Me to steady my hand & I like the stuff.)

Any time after 9PM would be fine.
Click to expand...
DR. WALTER FREEMAN BELIEVED HE'D FOUND AN ANSWER FOR MENTAL ILLNESS. NEARLY 3,500 OPERATIONS LATER, HIS TECHNIQUES WERE UNIVERSALLY DISCREDITED. TODAY, SOME OF HIS IDEAS ARE COMING BACK By Jack El-Hai
Click to expand...

Just so you know this is the truthfully old technique. Moderators may have to censor? It's rather graphic.
dully_icepick450.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/themistyone/freeman01.htm
 
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